Formula 1 in 2014 is totally new, with new cars, new drivers, new tracks and new rules. One of the kids controversial changes is the new double points rule; the last race of the season, in Abu Dhabi, will present double points to those in the top ten. This hasn't gone done well with fans, drivers or teams. But I think it's just what F1 needs to bring back some of the excitement of the past.
With the massive regulation changes for F1 this year, then testing is more important than ever as teams try to understand their cars and the regulations. But it seems many teams will go without that understanding today as they struggled to even get on track today.
Formula 1 has been pinned down under the force of Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel for the past 4 years, and in an attempt to level the playing field, the FIA have revolutionised the regulations. I could go into detail about what has changed, but we'd be here all day. Basically, there are new smaller V6 turbo engines, lower front noses and an overall reduction in downforce from all areas of the car. With the new shake up, many teams have developed radically different solutions, and this week the first batch of cars have been announced. McLaren and Ferrari are the only ones to actually announce their cars, but Force India, Williams and Lotus have all given renders to show off their designs.
A few weeks ago at CES 2014, Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance, partnering with Audi, Hyundai, General Motors, Honda and NVidia. The idea was to bring the Android operating system into cars, mostly for the infotainment systems by providing crucial information like the satnav and entertainment like music, radio, and for the passengers at least, TV. It's also possible that with modifications, Android could be used to power the computers like the ECU which control the engine and other vital car functions. But how well will it all actually work?
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Editor: Ross PendletonI live in the sunny city of Nottingham, in the UK. With a passion for tech, cars and games, I created this site to bring together everything you want to read. ArchivesCategories |